Speed Demon
by SouthernBlossom
Summary: Abby likes to drive a little too fast. WARNING: May contain non-consensual spanking of adults. Don't like it? Don't read it.
1. Chapter 1

Her hearse sat in the parking garage adjacent to NCIS, keys on the seat next to her. Her fingernails had found their way into her mouth, and now she was chewing on them – a habit she had yet to kick when she felt nervous or scared.

As she stared at the slip of paper in her hand, only one thought came to mind.

_Shit. I am so dead._

Abby Sciuto enjoyed driving… fast. She had absolutely no patience going the speed limit when she could go faster. And it wasn't as if it was _that_ big of a deal… She merely went with the speed of traffic…

_Except no one else on the road was going twenty over the limit, Abby,_ a little voice inside her head reminded her.

A $200 speeding ticket would've been a big deal for just about anyone. But for Abby, it was worse, because she knew how Special Agent Tim McGee was going to act when he found out. She was toast… or at least, her butt was.

Unfortunately, it wasn't her first speeding ticket. Abby had earned another ticket not two months before, for a little over $100. She hadn't worried about Tim's reaction then, not realizing he might have a problem with her speed demon tendencies. It had come as a surprise to Abby, then, when Tim had practically hit the roof. She could still remember his tone of voice as he alternated between ranting over the ticket and scolding her for driving recklessly. His final words on the subject were just as clear in her mind.

"If I find out you've gone more than five miles over the speed limit again, Abby, you won't be sitting comfortably for a while."

There was no mistaking his threat. He was going to spank her, and it was going to be one hell of a spanking.

If only Abby could find a way to keep it from Tim. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him, right? She could pay it off quietly, and he'd be none the wiser. All she had to do was figure out where to hide the actual ticket so he or anyone else wouldn't find it. She couldn't throw it away, of course, but if someone else were to find the ticket (such as Tony, Ziva, Palmer, Ducky, or _cringe_ Gibbs), news would inevitably travel back to Tim. No one knew how to keep his or her mouth shut.

Abby thought about leaving the ticket in a drawer in her lab. No one dared to search the cabinets and drawers in her lab, not knowing what they might find and not brave enough to incur Abby's wrath at having her "space" messed with. However, Abby was going to have to pay for that ticket without anyone finding out, and leaving it in the lab would mean more time she'd have to carry it in her handbag or pocket and that meant a greater chance of someone seeing it. No, as protected as the ticket would be IN her lab, it would be far less protected in transit between her lab and her hearse.

…The hearse!

Of course! She would simply leave the ticket in her hearse… the glove compartment would probably be the safest place there. No one else ever rode in the hearse with Abby, and if Abby went anywhere with anyone, they always took their car. (Something about being seen in a hearse seemed to make people nervous… Abby thought it was rather silly.) Tim certainly never stepped foot in Abby's vehicle, so he'd have no occasion to find it there. It was perfect, really.

Relieved, Abby tucked the ticket neatly inside her glove compartment before grabbing her keys and handbag, sliding out of the hearse, and heading for the NCIS building and her lab.


	2. Chapter 2

Leroy Jethro Gibbs strode into the forensics lab, Caf-Pow in hand. His favorite scientist was busy typing away at her computer, her back partially turned toward him. He was a little surprised she didn't seem to notice him, but it was not unusual for Abby to become so wrapped up in her work that she didn't notice much else.

"Abby."

His voice wasn't loud by any means, but even over her music Abby would usually hear him. Despite the fact that music wasn't blaring from the CD player only feet away, this time she didn't even acknowledge him, and Gibbs couldn't help but wonder why.

Closing the distance between them, Gibbs placed a hand on Abby's shoulder. Her shriek was unexpected, to say the least.

"Gibbs!" Abby exclaimed, placing a hand on her chest as she stared wide-eyed at him. "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that!"

Gibbs cocked an eyebrow. "I didn't. You okay, Abs?"

"I'm fine, Gibbs. I suppose you came down for an update on the bullets?" Not waiting for an answer, she turned and strode over to where a tray laid waiting. As she'd expected, he followed her.

"Three bullets, all .45's. Nothing really spectacular about that, right? Except for the groove patterns… those were made by the barrel of a gun." She picked up the gun in question with a gloved hand. "This gun, in fact. I checked the pattern. This is the murder weapon."

"Any prints on the gun?"

Abby shook her head. "Nope. Either it was wiped clean, or the killer used gloves."

"And the prints recovered from the crime scene?"

"Running them through AFIS. No hits so far."

He nodded and handed her the caffeinated drink. "Good work, Abby."

Abby smiled gratefully and took a sip, expecting Gibbs to head back up to the bullpen. When he continued to stand there, watching her, she lifted her lips from the straw. "What…?"

His eyes narrowed slightly, and then a knowing, fatherly look spread across his face. "What'd you do, Abby?"

She stared at him, confused. "What do you mean, Gibbs?"

"What did you do?" he repeated, a bit slower than before. "You have a guilty look on your face."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said quickly – too quickly – as she looked away and took a rather large slurp of her Caf-Pow.

"Funny," Gibbs mused taking a step closer to her as he took her Caf-Pow, set it on the nearest table, and used his hand to tilt her face back towards him. "That look in your eyes tells me you know exactly what I'm talking about."

Abby tried to twist her head, but the grip on her chin, though gentle, wouldn't budge. "Gibbs, it's nothing."

"Then why do you look so guilty, Abby?"

They stood there, his fingers still on her chin, studying each other for a minute. Abby was conflicted. She didn't want to tell Gibbs the truth. There was no doubt in her mind that Gibbs would be just as upset as Tim would if he knew. Abby couldn't stand the disappointment in either of their eyes whenever she messed up.

However, Gibbs was Gibbs. He wouldn't give up until he got the truth. She could try to lie, but Gibbs would see right through it. He always did. Hell, he already knew something was up.

As she stared at Gibbs, Abby realized it was useless to even try to keep the truth from him. She sighed and glanced away. "You'll be angry."

"Maybe."

She couldn't bring herself to look at Gibbs.

"You won't know for sure until you talk to me," Gibbs told her in a gentle voice. "What happened, Abs?"

Abby stared at the wall. "I got a ticket this morning."

"Hmm," he murmured. "Why did you get a ticket?"

"I was speeding."

"What was the speed limit?"

"Fifty-five." She began to chew on a nail.

"And how fast were you going?"

Abby snuck a glance at Gibbs before resuming her nail biting. "More than fifty-five."

Abby heard the soft growl before she heard him speak. "Abby."

"Does it really matter?" she asked.

Honestly, Gibbs didn't think it did. He'd never heard of his surrogate daughter getting a speeding ticket before, so it wasn't as if he expected to have a 'talk' with her. The only reason he asked was because she looked so guilty, and he couldn't quite figure out why. Her reactions just didn't make sense.

"How fast, Abs?"

She couldn't detect any hint of anger or disappointment in his voice, so she risked another glance. This time she didn't look away. "Seventy-five."

He arched an eyebrow, but that was it. "Must've been a hefty ticket."

Abby nodded. She'd expected Gibbs to be upset, but nothing about his face or body language alluded to that. "You're not mad?"

"Nope," Gibbs replied with a shake of his head. "I don't think you should be speeding like that, but it's a first time offense, right?"

She looked down guiltily. "Erm, actually…"

He sighed. "When?"

"A couple of months ago."

"Was _that_ your first time?"

"Yes," she said quickly, nodding her head. That _had_ been the first time she'd gotten a ticket. It hadn't been the first time she'd sped, but he hadn't asked if it had… just if it was her first speeding ticket. Technically she wasn't lying.

Gibbs considered her for a minute… just long enough to watch her squirm a bit. "Are you in danger of losing your license?"

"No."

He let out a breath of air. "I'm not thrilled, Abby, but I trust that this will be the last time… Right?"

She was all too eager to agree. "Yes." Abby supposed she'd have to be a bit more careful about speeding in the future. Gibbs was being rather lenient at the moment, but she knew he wouldn't if there was a next time. If she did speed in the future, she'd have to make sure she didn't get pulled over or cited for it.

Gibbs pressed a fatherly kiss to her forehead. "Then let me know when you have something else for me."

He started to leave, but stopped in the doorway to glance back at Abby. She was standing where he'd left her, several fingernails now trapped between her teeth. Every inch of her body, from her face to her posture, oozed guilt.

"What am I missing here, Abs?" he asked, walking back towards her. "Why do you look so miserable?"

She should've felt relieved that Gibbs wasn't upset with her… and truthfully, part of her did. But then, regardless of Gibbs' reaction, Tim was bound to find out now. If she didn't come clean, she was sure it would come out eventually from Gibbs.

She was still screwed.

"He's going to kill me…" she whispered so softly that Gibbs wasn't sure he'd heard her right.

"Who's going to kill you, Abby?"

Abby sniffled; she was mad at herself for getting so emotional. "Tim."

"Because of the ticket?" Gibbs guessed.

Abby nodded sadly.

"What makes you think that?" He could imagine his field agent might have a thing or two to say, but considering everything Gibbs knew, that was it.

"He said so."

Gibbs was growing frustrated with Abby's short answers, but he knew that getting angry with her wouldn't do him any good at the moment. So, patiently, he asked, "When?"

She paused, and as Gibbs studied her face, he sincerely hoped she wasn't about to burst into tears. "When I got the first ticket."

"Abby… Does McGee know about _this_ ticket?"

"No…"

"Abby, you need to tell him."

"Gibbs, he's going to kill me!"

Gibbs couldn't help the smirk that settled on his lips. "I somehow doubt that."

"You don't understand!" she exclaimed, on the verge of tears. "He said if he found out I went more than five miles over the limit again, he'd…"

He waited for her to finish, but when she didn't, he prodded. "He'd what?"

Upset as she was, Abby glared at Gibbs. "You know what!"

Gibbs _did _know what she meant. He was well aware of Tim's approach to Abby's occasional lack of concern over her health and safety, and didn't doubt one bit that the field agent would pull Abby over his knee for this. Considering his knowledge of her previous ticket, it made sense now why Abby was so nervous. Still, she had to realize that it would only get worse if she didn't come clean…

"You know it's going to be worse if he finds out on his own, right?"

She looked away, mumbling, "Who says he has to find out?"

Abby could feel Gibbs' gaze burning a hole in the side of her head, but she wasn't brave enough to look. The silence was deafening, and the longer they stood there, the more worried Abby felt. Why wasn't he saying something?

"You're playing with fire, Abigail," he finally told her, in that low Gibbs-voice that always put butterflies in her stomach, "and you're going to get burnt. Omitting the truth, or deciding not to tell McGee something you know he should know, is the same as lying to him. Relationships are built on trust, and by lying you're breaking that trust. Trust me, Abby; if you don't tell McGee about the ticket, a sore butt won't be the only consequence."

Gibbs planted a fatherly kiss on her forehead and headed for the elevator, leaving a rather conflicted Abby in the lab.


	3. Chapter 3

Abby parked her hearse in front of McGee's building, taking the key out of the ignition with a sigh. She had her own apartment, in a complex several miles away, but if she were honest with herself she'd admit she spent more time at McGee's apartment than she did her own.

Staring up at the bedroom window of the third floor apartment as she stepped out of her vehicle, Abby couldn't get her conversation with Gibbs from earlier out of her head. She knew he was right. Things would be far, far worse if Tim found out about the ticket on his own. And it was silly of her to be scared to tell him. If she confessed up front, she doubted she'd sit comfortably the rest of the night, but that was the worst that would happen. And it wasn't as if it would be her first time across McGee's lap. On the contrary, she was well acquainted with the position. Tim had grown more dominant since they'd first started seeing each other, and Abby was rather turned on by this side of him.

It took her several minutes of internal debates before she finally made it up to the apartment. She set her purse on the nearest counter and headed straight for the sofa. McGee was there already, typewriter set on the coffee table before him. She knew he usually typed at his desk, so it was a surprise to see his typewriter anywhere else.

"Hi, Timmy," she said softly, dropping onto the cushion beside him.

"Hey, Abby," he replied, leaning over to kiss her. "How was your day?"

Abby shrugged, feeling rather self-conscious. Now that they were in the same room, sitting side-by-side, she wasn't so sure she was ready to confess.

Tim studied his girlfriend. A quiet Abby was an unusual sight, and he wasn't sure what to make of it. He pushed his typewriter back a bit and scooted over so he could wrap an arm around her shoulders. "Abby, honey, are you okay?"

"Yeah," she murmured.

"I made reservations for us at Vittorino's tonight. Thought we could enjoy a night out."

Vittorino's was Abby's favorite Italian restaurant. Normally the thought of eating there would have her feeling giddy, but this time she just felt guilty. There was no way she could sit through dinner, knowing he had no idea what had happened.

"I'm not very hungry."

Tim stared at Abby in shock. She _never_ turned down Vittorino's. The moment he recovered, his hand was on her forehead, an action that always brought a protest on Abby's part.

This time, however, Abby didn't say a word.

"You don't feel warm," Tim commented, replacing his hand with his lips. "Please tell me what's wrong, Abby. You're worrying me."

Tim wrapped both arms around her, pulling her onto his lap, and Abby sighed, leaning into the embrace. "I love you," he whispered, resting his chin on her head. "You know that, right?"

Abby nodded. "I love you too, Tim."

"Then talk to me."

She took a few deep breaths before scooting out of his arms and off of his lap. She leaned against the arm of the couch, pulling her legs up and folding them like a pretzel. Meeting his eyes briefly, Abby chose to focus on her lap. "I got a ticket."

Tim was sure he knew what she got a ticket for, but he wanted to hear it from her. "What was the ticket for?"

"Speeding."

She heard him sigh. The butterflies in her stomach doubled.

"Abby."

The disappointment in his voice made her want to cry. The last thing she wanted to do then was look in his eyes, but he chose just that moment to tilt her chin up with his fingers so he could see her face.

"What was the speed limit, and how fast were you going?"

Abby fidgeted. "Does it really matter?"

"Abigail."

She frowned at the firm voice. "Fifty-five miles an hour."

"The speed limit?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. And how fast were _you_ going, Abby?"

"Timmy…"

"How fast were you going, Abigail?"

He hadn't raised his voice, though Abby almost wished he had. It was easier to deal with a yelling McGee than it was a quiet McGee. The tone of his voice, however, told her that he was losing his patience with her stalling, and that wasn't going to bode well for her in the end.

"Seventy-five," she mumbled.

Tim stared silently at Abby for a moment before saying softly, "You were speeding twenty miles over the limit?"

Still quiet. Not a good sign, she thought. "I'm sorry."

Tim didn't speak for a while. Abby listened to the pounding of her own heart. As loud as it was, she wondered why Tim hadn't commented on it.

When Abby thought she couldn't take any more of the silence, Tim tilted her chin so he could see her eyes. "Do you want to go to Vittorino's tonight?"

She stared at him, uncomprehending. "What?"

"Do you still want to go to Vittorino's? I know you said you weren't very hungry, but I thought maybe that was due to nerves."

"But I thought…"

Tim waited for Abby to finish her thought. When she didn't, he prompted, "You thought what?"

"I… you said if… you would…"

"Ah," Tim said, understanding. "We are definitely going to talk about the speeding tonight, bu we can do that after dinner just as easily."

Abby was all for postponing the inevitable, although she didn't think there would be anything 'easy' about it, but her stomach was still turning cartwheels. The thought of eating right then made her queasy. "I'm still not hungry."

"I guess we can go ahead and talk then. Would you rather talk here or in the bedroom?"

She didn't see what difference it would make. Either way, her butt was toast. Still, his bed was more comfortable than the couch.

"Bedroom."

Tim stood and gently pulled Abby to her feet. His hand wrapped around hers, he led her to his room. They were the only ones there but Tim closed the door behind them anyway. Sitting on the bed, he pulled her to stand in front of him. "All right, Abby. Let's talk about this."

"What's there to talk about? You're going to blister my ass no matter what I say." It came out less polite than Abby had intended, but Tim didn't seem to mind.

"Do you know why I'm spanking you for speeding, Abby?"

"Because you're bossy," she mumbled, surprised by her own attitude.

Instead of getting mad, Tim surprised Abby with a gentle kiss. "Try again."

She couldn't believe he was being so nice while she was being so… well, bratty… but she found it hard to keep up the grumpiness. "Maybe it wasn't exactly safe."

"And?"

"And… it's sort of illegal…"

"And?"

Abby frowned. "There's another reason?"

"Mhmm. Why would I care if you do something dangerous or unlawful?"

She couldn't help herself. "Because you like spanking me?"

Tim sighed. "Abby."

She offered him a sheepish look. "Sorry."

"Abby, I love you… too much to stand by when you act recklessly. I don't want to get a call one day telling me you're in the ER, or walk into work and find you lying on Ducky's autopsy table."

Part of Abby wanted to point out that although she worked for NCIS, she was a civilian, and there was a possibility NCIS wouldn't get jurisdiction if something happened to her, but the rational part of her brain told her that mentioning that right then would be near suicidal.

That same part wanted to point out that she'd been speeding for years, and that this was only her second speeding ticket, and she'd never been involved in a collision. She didn't figure that'd go over all that well, either.

"Okay, I won't speed anymore."

"I hope not, because if I find out that you have after tonight – whether you get a ticket or not – we'll be repeating this discussion every night for a week."

Abby stared at Tim in shock. "You wouldn't."

In a blink of an eye, Abby found herself draped across Tim's lap. She hardly heard the resounding 'smack' before she felt a fire ignite in her backside.

OW. That HURT. She couldn't believe one smack, over her clothes, would hurt that much. He landed several more swats in the same spot, just as hard, making it impossible for Abby to stay quiet.

"Owwwww."

"I hope you're listening carefully, Abby Sciuto," he said, smacking the other side of her butt several times. "I will spank you every night for a week, every night for a month even, if that's what I need to do to get you to understand that you are too important to me to lose over your reckless behavior." Several more smacks. He heard her sniffle. "Am I getting through to you?"

"Yes," Abby mumbled.

"Good." Tim helped her up off his lap. She briefly wondered why he hadn't continued until she was full-on crying until he undid the button of her pants.

Her eyes widened and her hands went to her zipper, blocking him from continuing. "Tim!" she whined. You just spanked me…!"

"Those were a few smacks to get your attention. We're not through yet. Move your hands."

Sniffling, Abby moved her hands so that Tim could continue. She sincerely hoped her sniffles were making him feel guilty! Her butt hurt quite enough as it was.

He tugged her pants down to her knees before pulling her across his lap once more. Once he had her settled, he tugged down her panties as well.

Having said all he needed to say, Tim spanked Abby in silence, steeling his heart against her sniffles and intermittent cries. He allowed his hand to turn Abby's entire backside pink, then red. Judging by the shade of red on her butt, and the sting in his hand, her bottom had to be on fire.

Tim continued to spank Abby until he heard that hitch in her voice that he always heard right before she began to sob. He felt her body go limp, and knew it was time to end it. He always spanked to that point; he'd learned early on that if he didn't, Abby wouldn't completely let go of her guilt, and they'd just end up in the same situation a few days later.

A few more well-placed swats to Abby's sit spots, and Tim stopped. He moved his hand from Abby's bottom up to her back, where he began to rub her soothingly, understanding it would take her a few moments to calm down.

When her cries had subsided to sniffles once more, Tim gently reached down and pulled Abby's panties back up into place. He didn't miss the sharp intake of air as the fabric touched her bottom, but he knew the fire would begin to fade in a few minutes. She probably wouldn't sit comfortably for a few hours, but she'd be fine by morning.

He helped her up and then pulled her into his arms.

**The next chapter will be up this next week sometime. It's already written, I just need to proofread it!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: I apologize for not posting this sooner. It's been a crazy couple of weeks, but at least another year didn't lapse! Anyway, I'm not sure how I feel about the second part of the chapter, but everything else I had in my head sucked, so it is what it is.**

* * *

><p>"Tim… what are we doing here?"<p>

Tim smiled as he parked in front of Vittorino's. "I told you earlier. I made reservations."

Yes, she remembered that… That was before he roasted, toasted, and burnt her rear to a crisp. Then, once she'd calmed down, he'd encouraged her to take a shower and get changed. _'Put on something nice,'_ he'd said. It had confused her at the time, but now she understood. Her little black dress was perfect for the restaurant's dressier atmosphere. "I know that, Timmy, but that was before… well… you know."

"You said you were hungry now."

"Yes, but I don't know if I can sit through dinner…"

He chuckled. "We'll sit in a booth; they're well-cushioned. You'll be fine. I really wanted to take you out to dinner tonight, and it seems I made the reservations for just the right time." Getting out of the car, he walked around and opened the passenger side door for her. Tim held out his hand to Abby, smiling as she took it and stepped out of the car. "Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?"

A smile played on her lips. "You might've mentioned that once or twice. But why are you so insistent on eating here?"

"Why are you so insistent on not eating here?" he countered. Tim wrapped an arm around Abby's shoulders and guided her inside the restaurant.

They were escorted to their booth almost immediately. It took Abby a moment to find a comfortable position, but finally she was able to sit without squirming much. Although she hadn't admitted it to Tim outright, she was happy to be at Vittorino's. It was, after all, her favorite restaurant, and it had an extra special meaning to her. Vittorino's had been the restaurant Abby and Tim had eaten at on their first date.

They ordered their meals – Abby, the lasagna, and Tim, the chicken parmesan. They chatted about their day at work while they waited for the food to arrive. It might've seemed odd to the average outsider that they worked in the same place yet hardly saw each other at times, but it wasn't unusual for them. Tim told Abby about the people he'd had to interview that day, while Abby told Tim what she'd learned from the evidence in her lab.

An hour later, they were both comfortably full, their hands intertwined on the table. Yes, Abby was glad they'd gone out for dinner. In spite of her bottom, she'd had a wonderful time.

"Thank you, Timmy. I'm glad we came."

He smiled, but it didn't seem to be his typical smile. He seemed as though he had something on his mind. "I'm glad we came too, Abby. I want to, um, talk to you about something, and I'd really like it if you listened all the way through. Can you do that?"

Abby was confused, but she nodded. "Sure, Tim. What's going on?"

Tim took a deep breath. "I remember when I first saw you at NCIS. You were this cute little Goth who I didn't know quite what to make of. You were smart, funny, and not at all what I expected the lab person to look like. But I was intrigued by you.

"As I got to know you, you became one of my closest friends. I felt like I could talk to you about anything, and no matter what you thought of the dorky things I'd say or do, you stood by my side. I enjoyed our 'family' that had developed over time at work.

"And then, I started seeing you as more than a friend. When you agreed to go out with me that first time, I was elated. And before I knew it, I'd fallen in love with you."

Abby felt her eyes become misty. "Timmy…"

Tim slid out of the booth and walked to Abby's side. She turned so she could look at him. Her heart caught in her throat when he knelt down in front of her and took her hand once more.

"I know I will never find anyone else on earth like you, Abby. You are the first thing I want to see when I wake up in the morning, and the last thing I want to see before I go to sleep at night. I love you, Abigail Sciuto," he said as he pulled a small box out of his pocket and opened it. "Will you marry me?"

Abby didn't trust her voice to work properly, so she nodded her head, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill as she stared at the most incredible ring she'd ever seen. A black diamond, clearer than any she'd ever seen, was surrounded by smaller white diamonds, set on a delicate white gold band. He took the ring from the box and, taking her left hand in his, carefully slid the ring onto her finger.

Standing, Tim pulled Abby to her feet. Before he could say or do anything, she wrapped her arms around his neck and planted her lips on his.

* * *

><p>On any given day an outsider would watch Abby in amazement. She was a contradiction, walking around in dark, Goth attire, all while maintaining a cheerful disposition. Today's outfit consisted of a black tee, a short, pleated red plaid skirt (complete with a chain belt), black boots, and two black pigtails. To someone who didn't know her, it was downright confusing.<p>

However, that next morning at work, even the people closest to Abby seemed to be surprised by her exuberance. She was bouncier than usual, with a goofy grin that wouldn't leave her face. Everyone was whispering back and forth about what had Abby Sciuto so bubbly.

Out of all of the explanations or suggestions they had as to the cause, no one mentioned the new piece of jewelry that adorned her left hand. They hadn't seen it yet, as it would've only fueled the rumor frenzy. Abby herself was a bit surprised by this, as she wasn't exactly trying to _hide_ the ring, but she didn't stop to ponder it or stare at the glittering jewels on her finger (she'd done quite a bit of that already the night before).

Abby was looking at a particularly interesting microorganism under the microscope when the door to her lab opened.

"Abs."

"Hey, Tony," she said with a smile, not looking up from the microscope. "Amazingly gorgeous day, isn't it?"

"I guess you could say that," Tony agreed, though less energetically. "What are you up to?"

"Looking at some bacteria from the lieutenant's hands. It's amazing how something so small and so beautiful can be so deadly." She straightened and twirled to face him, the silly grin still on her face. "What can I do for you?"

Tony narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing her. "You're rather peppy today, Abs."

Abby chuckled. "And that's unusual how?"

"More than normal," Tony amended

"There's no such thing as normal," Abby countered.

"Everyone at NCIS is talking about it."

She snorted softly, though she didn't stop smiling. "No one at NCIS has anything better to talk about than my mood?"

"There are rumors flying around."

"Really," she mused.

"They're saying you've found a new job…"

She knew he was looking for some subconscious reaction to his comment, to either confirm or refute the rumor. "Are they now?"

"Or that maybe you've won the lottery…"

"Is that so?"

"Or that you and McDweeb did the McNasty last night."

"Whether or not Tim and I had wild, passionate sex last night is irrelevant," she said casually, as if they were discussing the weather.

"A-ha! So it's true then!"

"I didn't confirm or deny the rumor. I just said it's irrelevant."

Tony growled in frustration. "Then why in the world…" He stopped abruptly, his eyes darting from her face to her hips, where her hands were now settled. "What. Is. That?"

Of course Abby knew what Tony meant, but it wouldn't be nearly as fun to just come out and say it. "What is what?"

His expression was incredulous and accusing all at once. "You know what!"

"I really don't," she insisted with a straight face, "but you could always enlighten me."

"You have a piece of jewelry on a particular finger on your left hand."

Abby pretended to just notice the ring. "I do? Huh. How about that…"

"Abby!" Tony exclaimed exasperatedly.

"What's wrong, Tony?" The giggle escaped her lips before she could stop it. The clueless façade was beginning to fail.

"Where did that ring come from?"

"A store, I'd imagine. Don't rings usually come from stores?"

He threw his hands up in the air. "Oh for the love of…"

Bouncing over to the senior field agent, Abby threw her arms around Tony for a sisterly hug. "I'm sorry, Tony. I couldn't resist."

"So glad you're having fun at my expense," he muttered.

She took a step back and grinned. "McGee proposed last night."

Pulling Abby into his arms, Tony spun her around. "Congratulations, Abs. I'm going to have a talk with McGee… I can't believe he kept this a secret from me!"

Abby smirked. "If he had told you, it wouldn't have been a secret from anyone any longer."

"I can keep a secret!" Tony exclaimed indignantly.

"Sure you can…"

"I can. So, let me see this ring!"

She held out her left hand for Tony to inspect. He held it gently, tilting her hand a bit to better see the gemstones. "McGee has decent taste," he admitted, slightly begrudgingly. "What's the black stone in the middle?"

"A black diamond," Abby explained.

Tony chuckled. "A black diamond… I have to hand it to Probie, he knows you well."

"I would hope so."

"Does anyone else know?"

Abby shook her head. "Not yet. I was going to tell you all tonight, but you just couldn't wait, could you?"

"Sorry," he offered, though he didn't sound sorry at all.

"Eh, it was inevitable. But do you think you could manage to keep your mouth shut about it? McGee wants to be there, so we can tell everyone together."

"I told you I can keep a secret, Abs. But you know, you're going to have to stop calling McGee 'McGee.'"

"Why's that?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You're going to be a McGee soon, too."


End file.
